Chapter 96

Chapter 96
The Next Day

Raven sat cross-legged on her bed in her father’s penthouse, surrounded by sketches and loose fabric samples. She’s been staying there after her blow-up with Julie and Blair. She had thrown herself into her work, determined to rebuild everything she’d lost.

Her phone buzzed, breaking her concentration. The screen displayed Blair’s name, and Raven hesitated before answering.

Her fingers hovered over the answer button. Finally, she swiped to accept. "What do you want?" She asked, her tone flat.

"Raven, I thought about everything," Blair said. "You’re right. I’ve been selfish. Mom and I have done nothing but cause you pain. I’m sorry."

Raven raised an eyebrow, skepticism clear in her voice. "And? Why are you telling me this now?"

Blair hesitated. "I just... I want to make things right. Will you meet me at the police station? Let’s see Mom one last time before the trial."

Raven’s instinct was to refuse, but curiosity gnawed at her. She wanted to hear what Lenora had to say. "Fine," she said. "I'll meet you there."

\~~~~

In the Barrett mansion, Julie was preparing to visit Raven and apologize. As she pulled out of the mansion’s driveway, a sleek black car parked just outside the gate caught her attention. A woman and a young man stepped out, and Julie’s breath hitched as recognition dawned on her.

Julie stepped down from her car.

The woman approached her, pulling Julie into an unexpected hug. "Natalie," she whispered, her voice filled with emotion. "My baby girl."

Julie froze. Mrs Kingston? She asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The young man beside her was Jonathan Kingston, her elder brother.

"I missed you so much, darling. We searched everywhere for you." Camellia Kingston said, her hands trembling as she cupped Julie’s face. "You’re all grown up. I’m so sorry my love. I missed so much of your life."

"Mom," Jonathan interjected gently, pulling her back. "You’re overwhelming her."

"I'm sorry, I'm just so excited."

"It's fine," Julie stepped back, her heart pounding. "I know the truth. My mom... I mean, Margaret told me everything."

Jonathan sighed in relief. "I'm glad you know the truth." He stepped forward, wrapping Julie in a warm hug. "It's all my fault. We got separated because I was stubborn. I should’ve stayed with you in the car that day. I'm sorry, Natalie."

"Julie. My name is Julie," Julie’s voice wavered. "You don't have to apologize; it's all in the past. Besides, I had the perfect family. Do you... want to come in?"

The three of them entered the mansion’s living room. Julie gestured awkwardly to the seating area. "It's just me here right now."

She fidgeted nervously. "I mean, my best friend also lives here and my girlfriend comes over a lot. I fought with my best friend... I was just about to see her before you showed up..."

Jonathan chuckled. "You're rambling. You don't have to be nervous, we're your family."

Julie’s face flushed.

"Nat... Julie, will you come home with us?" Jonathan asked softly. "Dad would be so happy to see you."

"Yes, darling, your dad wanted to see you, but he's unwell," Camellia said.

Before Julie could respond, Justin’s voice cut through the moment. "Hi, Julie. I..." He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.

Julie let out a relieved breath and quickly introduced him. "This is Justin, my cousin," she said. "Justin, you know the Kingstons, right?"

Justin’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. "I've heard of them."

"Can I talk to you? In private." Justin said.

Julie turned to the Kingstons. "Excuse us for a moment," she said before Justin pulled her into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" He asked as soon as they were alone.

"They want me to go with them," Julie said, her voice trembling. "But I don’t want that. I don’t want to be anyone else but me."

"Then you’re not going anywhere. You're a Barrett. Let's go back out there and make that clear. You and Mason are the only family I have left, and I'm not going to let them take you with them."

Julie nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. With Justin by her side, she felt a little braver.

As they re-entered the living room, Julie said, "Thank you for coming to see me, but I'm not leaving with you. This is my home. I'll agree to see Mr Kingston but I want you to accept that I'm now Julie and not Natalie. This house is filled with memories of my dad, and I can't leave them behind. I have my brother, Mason, and my cousin, Justin with me."

Camellia's face fell. "We're your real family, Julie. And we only want what's best for you."

"What's best for me is to stay with the only family I've known. I can't just leave them behind, especially now that we need each other. We've been through so much together, and there's nowhere I'd rather be than with them. I'll still be your daughter but I want you to know that I'm a Barrett."

Jonathan sighed but offered her a small smile. "We'll respect your decision. But I hope you can accept us as your family as well. I just want us to get along well."

"Thank you, I'll go to see Mr Kingston tomorrow. Maybe some other time, I can introduce you to the rest of the family."

"That would be wonderful," Camellia said.

As the Kingstons left, Julie turned to Justin and hugged him. "I did it. Thanks for coming here today."

"Anytime," he replied with a wink. "Now, what?"

"I need to speak to Raven. I was mean to her."

"I'm sure she'll forgive you."

"I hope so."